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Nation Pays Tribute to Those Who Died to Defend Freedom

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va., May 26, 2003  "God is crying too," said 4-year-old Robert as he and his family participated in the Memorial Day ceremonies here today.

Robert, whose family did not want to use his last name, was one of thousands who sat through the rain to honor the men and women who have died in defense of the United States. He and those gathered listened as President Bush spoke for the nation in tribute to the fallen.

"We come to this Memorial Day with deep awareness of recent loss and recent courage," Bush said during his speech.

The president spoke of Americans who fought for freedom throughout U.S. history. "Today we honor the men and women who wore the nation's uniform and were last seen on duty," Bush said, "from the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan to the conflicts of Korea and Vietnam, to the trials of world wars and the struggles that made us a nation.

"Today we recall that liberty is always the achievement of courage. And today, we remember all who have died, all who are still missing and all who mourn."

He said that in every generation, the United States has found people who were equal to the needs of the times. The farms, small towns and city streets of this land have always produced free citizens who assumed the discipline and duty of military life," he said. "And time after time, they have proved that the moral force of democracy is mightier than the will and cunning of any tyrant."

Bush said that American service members have not fought for glory, but to fulfill a duty. "They did not yearn to be heroes. They yearned to see Mom and Dad again and to hold their sweethearts and to watch their sons and daughters grow," he said. "They wanted the daily miracle of freedom in America, yet they gave all that up and gave life itself for the sake of others.

"Their sacrifice was great, but not in vain," he continued. "All Americans and every free nation on earth can trace their liberty to the white markers of places like Arlington National Cemetery. And may God keep us ever grateful."

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld introduced the president. He said that the graves that surround the Memorial Amphitheater contain "the heroes of our heritage."

He said the cemetery contains their monuments, but it also contains their dreams. He referred to "their dreams for America that it would remain a bastion of freedom and a beacon of hope; dreams for the world that men would learn to live in harmony and in peace; and their dreams for themselves, their families and their futures -- dreams they did not live to see come true."

Both Bush and Rumsfeld stressed the obligations that go along with service members' sacrifices. "Today we face new threats," Rumsfeld said. "They will be met with the same courage, the same commitment, and like the foes of times past, they too will be defeated.

"This is our pledge to the men and women who have gone before," the secretary declared. "It is our responsibility to our children and their children and all who follow."

After placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, President George W. Bush bows his head in a moment of silence during Memorial Day service at Arlington National Cemetery May 26. The president delivered the keynote address at the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater after the wreath-laying ceremony. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA Download screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

President George W. Bush takes the wreath from a member of the Armed Forces Honor Guard for placement at the Tomb of the Unknowns during Memorial Day observances at Arlington National Cemetery May 26. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA Download screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

President George W. Bush joins Military District of Washington commander Army Maj. Gen. James T. Jackson and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, along with other officials, family members and guests, in a solemn salute as a bugler renders "Taps" during Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony May 26 at Arlington National Cemetery. "Today we honor the men and women who wore the nation's uniform and were last seen on duty," Bush said in a speech in the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater after the ceremony. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA Download screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

A member of the Armed Forces Honor Guard stands watch at the Tomb of the Unknowns May 26 prior to the start of Memorial Day observances there. The honor guard also provides casket teams, firing parties and marching platoons for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA Download screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution

Members of the Armed Forces Honor Guard team position the colors during the Memorial Day observance May 26 at Arlington National Cemetery. Along with the U.S. flag is each military service's flag. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA Download screen-resolutionDownload high-resolution